Eric Slivka
Eric is the Editor-in-Chief of MacRumors and has been writing for the site since 2008.
An avid swimmer and former biophysicist, Eric has been using Apple products for over 35 years and has been interviewed for pieces by The Wall Street Journal, The New York Times, Reuters, BBC, CNBC, and other publications.
Eric's current primary role involves day-to-day oversight of the editorial operations at MacRumors, but he also contributes occasional news and review articles while handling various other duties related to the site's operation.
An avid swimmer and former biophysicist, Eric has been using Apple products for over 35 years and has been interviewed for pieces by The Wall Street Journal, The New York Times, Reuters, BBC, CNBC, and other publications.
Eric's current primary role involves day-to-day oversight of the editorial operations at MacRumors, but he also contributes occasional news and review articles while handling various other duties related to the site's operation.
Eric Slivka's Articles
iPhone 5 Launch Props Up Apple's Share of Smartphone Market as Samsung Keeps Rolling
Research firm IDC yesterday released its estimates of global mobile phone and smartphone shipments for the third quarter of 2012, revealing that the iPhone 5 launch helped Apple gain market share over the year-ago period that saw customers holding out for the iPhone 4S launch. The few days of iPhone 5 sales in the quarter were not, however, enough to halt a continuing slide in market share over...
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Apple Targeting First Quarter 2013 Launch for Online Music Service
Bloomberg reports that Apple appears to hoping to wrap up deals for an online music service in the next few weeks, targeting a launch for the first quarter of next year.Apple Inc. and major music labels have intensified negotiations to start an advertising-supported Internet radio service by early next year, according to people with knowledge of the talks.
Talks are centered in part around how ...
Low Touchscreen Yields Reportedly Contributing to iPad Mini Pricing
Digitimes reports that one of the primary reasons that Apple was unable or unwilling to launch the iPad mini at a price below $329 is ongoing difficulties with touchscreen production as Apple transitions to new "GF2 Dito" technology.The sources said the DITO film sensor is having mass production issues, which has been a big contributor to why the device is approximately 40-50% more expensive...
13-Inch Retina MacBook Pro Benchmarks Confirm Late June Result Posting
In a new blog post today, Primate Labs summarizes the Geekbench 2 results for the new 13-inch Retina MacBook Pro hitting the company's database, unsurprisingly finding that the machines' performance is on par with that of the non-Retina models released in June. Benchmark scores for both stock models of the new 13-inch Retina MacBook Pro register within 0.5% of the scores seen for the...
Sprint Once Again Sells 1.5 Million iPhones in 3Q 2012
Sprint today became the last of the three major U.S. iPhone carriers to report financial results for the third quarter of 2012, revealing that the carrier sold 1.5 million iPhones for the third straight quarter.The Sprint platform postpaid subscriber base grew for the tenth consecutive quarter, with net additions of 410,000 driven by a postpaid Nextel recapture rate of 59 percent and best ever...
13-Inch Retina MacBook Pro Teardown Reveals Minor Improvements in Accessibility
iFixit has already performed one of its traditional high-quality teardowns on the new 13-inch Retina MacBook Pro, noting that while those looking to repair their machines face many of the same challenges seen with the 15-inch model, there are a few changes that improve accessibility somewhat.
One of the most interesting changes relative to the larger model is a battery layout that leaves the...
Early Impressions and Benchmarks on Apple's 2012 Mac Mini
Colocation data center Macminicolo has already gotten its hands on the new Mac mini, putting all three stock models through benchmarking tests and sharing initial impressions of the machines.
Geekbench results, which focus strictly on processor and memory performance, show a marginal increase in performance for the entry-level machine compared to the previous generation, with more substantial...
iPad Resales Jump 700-1000% Alongside Apple's Media Event
MarketWatch reports that sites specializing in gadget resales saw tremendous spikes in iPad interest yesterday, with resale submissions rising 700-1000% as Apple was announcing the fourth-generation iPad and the new iPad mini.Some 140,000 devices were put up for sale on Gazelle.com Tuesday – a 700% spike from the day before, says Anthony Scarsella, chief gadget officer at the site. Half of that ...
Unofficial Lightning USB Cables and Adapters Launching Soon at Significant Discounts
Earlier this month, we pointed to a new iPhone 5 Flash Lightning Dock from iPhone5mod.com, one of the first unauthorized Lightning-equipped products to surface on the market. At the time, iPhone5mod told us that it was using genuine Lightning connectors sourced from Apple's supplier, but noted that it also had cracked versions that were working properly.
The company is now pressing forward...
Phil Schiller Defends iPad Mini Pricing Decision
With pricing on Apple's new iPad mini starting at $329, some observers were disappointed that the company was unwilling or unable to launch the device at closer to $249 or even $299. With competing 7-inch Android tablets selling for closer to $199, some have felt that Apple has left too much of a pricing gap when consumers weigh their tablets purchasing decisions.
Reuters reports, however,...
iPhone Accounts for 77% of Smartphone Sales, 62% of All Postpaid Phone Sales at AT&T in 3Q 2012
AT&T today announced financial results for the third quarter of 2012, revealing that the carrier activated 4.7 million iPhones during the quarter, an increase of one million over the previous quarter as sales were buoyed by the iPhone 5 launch near the end of the period.
AT&T did not specifically break down iPhone 5 sales numbers, but did note that its overall postpaid sales numbers were...
Some Apple Retail Stores Offering 30-Day Window to Exchange iPads for New Model
With Apple's introduction of the fourth-generation iPad today, some recent purchasers of the third-generation model may be feeling somewhat disappointed that their new devices have been supplanted by an unexpectedly short upgrade cycle. CNET reports, however, that those who purchased their iPads within the past 30 days may be able to exchange their devices for new models at their local Apple...
Hands On with Apple's New 13-Inch Retina MacBook Pro
Following the introduction of the new 13-inch Retina MacBook Pro at its media event, Apple invited attendees to spend some time with the machine. Overall, the early hands-on impressions are favorable, with the reduction in thickness and weight making a significant difference for professionals on the go, but the high price tag associated with the Retina display and solid-state storage mean that...
Live Coverage of Apple's iPad Mini Media Event [Event Ended]
Apple is holding a media event today at the California Theatre in San Jose, California, where it is expected to introduce the iPad mini, a 13-inch Retina MacBook Pro, a tweaked full-size iPad with Lightning connector, and updated Mac mini models. A release of the company's revamped iTunes software also likely and iMac updates are a possibility. The event is scheduled to kick off at 10:00 AM...
'iPad Mini' Name Confirmed by Smart Cover Part Descriptions
9to5Mac reports that it has received confirmation of a new set of Smart Covers launching today for Apple's "iPad mini". The accessories are described as "iPad Mini Smart Covers", all but confirming that Apple will use the "mini" designation as part of the device's official name.
Smart Cover for full-size iPad
Japanese blog Mac Otakara claimed in late August that Apple would use the...
13-Inch Retina MacBook Pro Starts at 128 GB Flash Storage, Mac Mini Goes Quad-Core
9to5Mac reports that it has received information on three models of the 13-inch Retina MacBook Pro launching today. According to sources, the machines appear to use the same 2.5 GHz and 2.9 GHz processors found in the non-Retina models, and like the 15-inch Retina MacBook Pro all of the 13-inch Retina models start at 8 GB of RAM.
Unlike the 15-inch lineup, however, the entry-level 13-inch...
Apple Fires Chief of Korean Unit After Only 17 Months on the Job
The Korea Times reports that Apple has fired the head of its Korean unit, Dominique Oh, with sources indicating that the move was related to sluggish sales in the country."Apple terminated the contract with Oh last week," Apple spokesman Steve Park said by telephone, late Tuesday.
"We acknowledge that there are many speculations surrounding Oh's contract termination. But we can't do more,...
'iPad Mini' Media Event Also Streaming via Apple's Website
Earlier today, a new "Apple Events" channel appeared on the Apple TV revealing that the company will be offering live video streaming of today's media event. At the time, it was unclear whether Apple would also be offering a stream through its website, but the company has now updated its site to promote a live stream available online.
The video stream requires Safari 4 or later on a minimum ...
Four New Lightning Adapters, Higher-Power iPad Power Adapter Coming Today
9to5Mac has received part numbers, descriptions, and pricing on six new accessories coming later today. The group includes four new Lightning adapters: the previously promised HDMI and VGA adapters as well as Lightning versions of the SD card and USB camera adapters.
Also included in the list is a new 12-watt USB power adapter, which appears to be a higher-power version of the 10-watt...
Apple's 'Rubber Banding' Patent Key to Samsung Lawsuit Preliminarily Invalidated
FOSS Patents reports on a new court filing from Samsung revealing that the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) has issued a preliminary decision ruling that Apple's "rubber banding" patent that was a key part of the $1 billion lawsuit against Samsung has been invalidated. While numerous other reviews and appeals will undoubtedly take place in the coming months, the preliminary ruling is...
